Michigan

Clayton recall filed

CLAYTON TWP., Michigan -- Organizers of a recall effort against three Clayton Township officials are on track to getting the measure before the voters on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Tammy Kapraun -- who is leading the recall against township Supervisor Bruce M. Beatty and trustees Glenn Huffman and Chuck Shinouskis -- on Thursday turned in more than 1,100 signatures, about 200 more than the 911 needed.

Kapraun and Carrie Doering, who is co-chairing the recall drive, also have a lawsuit pending against Beatty, Huffman and Shinouskis.

Beatty said the board's ruling that former Police Chief Charles "Chuck" Melki's position was void, as well as that of former township Attorney Steven P. Iamarino of Grand Blanc, sparked the recall and the suit.

At a March 4 special meeting Beatty, Jennifer Henry, Shinouskis and Huffman voted to terminate Melki's contract because it was void, and because of claims that Melki did not follow the township's personnel policy or coordinate the department with Beatty, who is director of personnel for the township. Henry has since resigned.

Beatty said Melki wasn't fired -- his contract was void because it extended past the previous board's term.

Iamarino represents Kapraun and Doering in their suit against Beatty, Huffman and Shinouskis.

Iamarino also represents Melki in his suit against township Deputy Supervisor Dale Jones.

Kapraun says it goes way past that.

"There's multiple reasons. It goes well beyond that," she said.

"They have special meetings at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on off days so the public can't attend them, they have private conferences on things they vote on and they won't answer questions from the public during the meetings."

Kapraun also contends the board raised sewer rates to pay for sewer lines to the Cole Creek subdivision.

Township Clerk Denny Milem says it was a 5-0 vote to raise the rates, based on the county raising their rates and to pay for the installation of a north-south sewer interceptor to increase sewer capacity as part of the 137,000-feet of sewers in the township.

The township now must pay $123,000 annually for the next 16 years to pay for the $1.6 million sewer bond, Milem said.

Beatty said he isn't concerned about the recall effort -- he predicts it will fail.

Still, he said he's upset about the money spent on the recall.

"It's a shame three of us gave up $8,800 in pensions and then we're forced to spend money on this recall when it's nothing but lies," Beatty said.

The recall election can cost as much as $4,000, said township Clerk Denny Milem.

"If it's successful, there has to be another election in February, to elect a new board, which can run up to $4,000 again -- so the whole process could cost about $8,000."

"Then they're filing all these lawsuits that are going to cost (the township) some money, when it costs nothing but court time to file them," Beatty said. "It's easy for them to stir things up."

Kapraun is confident the recall will happen.

"Beatty didn't think we'd get the signatures," she said.

"We had tremendous support from the community," Kapraun said of collecting signatures.

Once recall petitions are turned in to the county clerk's office, the county has seven days to turn copies of them over to the township clerk, said Doreen Fulcher, elections director for the county.

The township clerk then has 15 days -- concurrent days, not working days -- to verify all the signatures are valid township residents, Fulcher said.

"We know they're good," Kapraun said. "We had a copy of the registered voters with us, so we were verifying them as we went."